Microbial fuel cell (MFC)-based biosensor for combined heavy metals monitoring and associated bioelectrochemical process

To explore the feasibility and related mechanism of MFC biosensor for wastewater detection under the action of combined heavy metals. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and scanning electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to explore the related bioelectrochemical process. The response of the reactor to single/combined heavy metals, low/high heavy metal concentrations, and the differences in ohmic resistance (Rs) and charge transfer resistance (Rct) were investigated using Ni as the core heavy metal and the combined action of Cd, Cu and Zn. The results indicated that there was a linear relationship between the concentration and output voltage of the MFC biosensor under the action of combined heavy metals (R² = 0.8803–0.973). However, the internal resistance (Rint) of the MFC biosensor under the action of single heavy metal was far less than that of the combined heavy metal group, and the power density (19.849 W m^?3) was 4 times that of the combined heavy metal group (3.109–4.589 W m^?3). The Rs of the biosensors in the combined heavy metal group were 0.868Ω and 0.860, which were higher than 0.768Ω of the single heavy metal sensor. With the increase of the concentration of heavy metals in the influent, the increase of Rct was more obvious in the combined group, while the Rs in the single group significantly increased (P < 0.05). The results imply that it is possible for MFC biosensors to be used in the detection of actual water polluted by various heavy metals, but the biosensor performance is mainly limited by Rct, which needs to be further improved.     

Effects of different metal corrosion inhibitors on hydrogen suppression and film formation with Mg–Zn alloy dust in NaCl solutions

To improve the safety of wet dust removal systems for processing magnesium-based alloys, a new method is proposed for preventing hydrogen generation. In this paper, hydrogen generation by Mg–Zn alloy dust was inhibited with six common metal corrosion inhibitors. The results showed that sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate was the best hydrogen inhibitor, while CeCl₃ enhanced hydrogen precipitation. The film-forming stability of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate was tested with different contents, temperatures, Cl^? concentrations and perturbation rates. The results showed that this inhibitor formed stable protective films on the surfaces of Mg–Zn alloy particles, and adsorption followed the Langmuir adsorption model.     

超临界机组发生FAC的因素及相互关系分析

为了减轻因流动加速腐蚀(FAC)引起的锅炉结垢加速、汽水系统管道厚度减小甚至爆裂现象，对超临界机组发生流动加速腐蚀的机理及其主要影响因素进行了研究，并讨论了管壁内表面粗糙度、蒸汽含汽率、pH值、溶氧量对FAC的影响，以及温度与pH值、温度与流速、pH值与溶解氧量、溶解氧量与氢电导率等影响因素之间的相互作用关系，最后结合实际电厂的运行数据验证了分析结果。研究表明：减小工质流速、管壁粗糙度和氢电导率，增大给水的pH值和溶解氧含量可以使FAC的腐蚀速率减小，超临界加氧处理时pH值应在8.9～9.2之间，溶解氧量范围为45～100μg/L,氢电导率的期望值在0.1μS/cm以下。由于各影响因素之间的作用十分复杂，本文只给出了大致范围和趋势，并未给出准确数据。     

Cyclic thermal shock resistance for MgAlON–MgO composites obtained with additions of spent MgO–C brick: Microstructure characteristics,thermal shock parameter and thermal shock mechanism

Thermal shock parameters (R, R''', R'''' and R_st) of MgAlON–MgO composites obtained with additions of spent MgO–C brick were calculated using measured mechanical properties and thermal expansion coefficient, determining their resistance to fracture initiation and crack propagation. The cyclic thermal shock experiments of MgAlON–MgO composites performed from 1398 K to ambient temperature indicate that as number of thermal shock cycle increases, retained strength ratio of MgAlON and MgAlON–4.2 wt%MgO sharply decrease and then keep constant, while that of MgAlON–10.5 wt%MgO and MgAlON–15.7 wt%MgO slowly decrease. The reason for the difference is that MgAlON and MgAlON–4.2 wt%MgO show low value of R''' and R'''', and high value of R and R_st. Moreover, precipitation of impurity containing Fe may play a positive role in improvement of thermal shock resistance of MgAlON–MgO composites. MgAlON?4.2 wt%MgO has the maximum retained strength (55 MPa) even after 5 thermal shock cycles, which is expected to be used in the metallurgical industry.     

Optical properties and radiation stability of SiO2/ZnO composite pigment prepared by co-sintering method

Thermal control coatings (TCCs) are an essential part of the thermal control systems in the spacecraft. Solar absorptance and emittance are the key performance parameters of TCCs. To develop an ultra-low solar absorption and stable inorganic TCCs for surface radiator, different TCCs were prepared by co-sintering ZnO and SiO₂ nanoparticles to form Zn₂SiO₄/SiO₂ pigment in this work, and the optical properties and radiation stability were systematically studied. It is found that the coating based on composite pigment has high reflectivity in the ultraviolet band and excellent optical performance possessing the low solar absorption of 0.06. In addition, the Zn₂SiO₄/SiO₂ coating demonstrates the highest proton and electron radiation stability because that SiO₂ between Zn₂SiO₄ particles acts as the relaxation center of the defects caused by radiation.     

Impact of TiO2 nanoparticles and nanowires on corrosion protection performance of chemically bonded phosphate ceramic coatings

The impact of the addition of TiO₂ nanoparticles and nanowires on the morphology, phase characteristics, contact angle, and electrochemical performance of chemically bonded phosphate ceramic coatings (CBPCs) was investigated. The chemical composition and surface morphology of the TiO₂ nanoparticle and nanowire modified with and without (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetradecyl) trimethoxysilane were characterized. Results indicated that the hydrophobic –CF₂– and –CF₃ groups were successfully introduced into the TiO₂ nanoparticles and nanowires after modification. Corrosion resistance of CBPCs with TiO₂ was evidently improved compared with that without TiO₂. Such improvement was mainly due to the combined effects of low surface energy materials and micro/nano structures. In addition, CBPCs with TiO₂ nanowires exhibited higher hydrophobicity and corrosion resistance than those with TiO₂ nanoparticles because of the special columnar structure of the nanowires.     

Enhancement of the radiation resistance of cerium-containing fluorophosphate glasses through codoping with Sb2O3 and Bi2O3

The growing demand for radiation-resistant optical glasses for space and nuclear radiation applications has attracted significant research interest. However, radiation-resistant fluorophosphate glasses have been poorly studied. In this work, we report on the tailoring and performance of radiation-resistant fluorophosphate glasses that contained cerium through codoping with Sb₂O₃ and Bi₂O₃. The physical properties, optical properties, microstructure, and defects of fluorophosphate glasses were investigated using transmittance measurements, absorption measurements, as well as Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The results showed that the radiation resistance of all codoped fluorophosphate glasses was better than the undoped cerium-containing fluorophosphate glasses after 10–250 krad(Si) irradiation. Especially in glasses doped with Bi₂O₃, the optical density increment at 385 nm was only 0.1482 after 250 krad(Si) irradiation. The CeO₂ prevented the development of phosphate-related oxygen hole center (POHC) defects, whereas further codoping with Bi₂O₃ suppressed the formation of oxygen hole center (OHC) and POEC defects, reducing the breaking of phosphate chains caused by CeO₂. Bi³⁺ is more likely than Sb³⁺ to change the valence, affecting the transition equilibrium of intrinsic defects and reducing the concentration of defects produced by irradiation. When codoping with Sb₂O₃ and Bi₂O₃, Bi₂O₃ does not enhance radiation resistance owing to the scission effect of Sb₂O₃ on the phosphate chain, which is not conducive to the radiation resistance of glasses. This indicates that the cerium-containing fluorophosphate glasses doped with Bi₂O₃ can effectively suppress the defects caused by irradiation and improve the radiation resistance of the glasses.     

具有保护肠上皮细胞HT-29免受大肠杆菌和H2O2损伤潜力的植物乳杆菌的筛选

益生菌可在肠道定植从而发挥抗炎或抗氧化活性，有利于宿主肠道健康。本实验研究了从新疆传统发酵乳制品中分离得到的8?株植物乳杆菌对大肠杆菌侵袭和过氧化氢刺激肠上皮细胞HT-29的保护作用。结果表明：在8?株植物乳杆菌中，植物乳杆菌35具有最高的黏附能力。植物乳杆菌35可通过取代、竞争、排阻的方式抑制大肠杆菌对HT-29细胞的黏附，抑制率分别为42.60%、59.17%、60.19%。植物乳杆菌35及其多糖可抑制大肠杆菌刺激HT-29细胞产生白细胞介素-8；同时保护HT-29细胞免受过氧化氢的损伤，增加超氧化物歧化酶、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶活力水平并降低丙二醛含量。结论：植物乳杆菌35及其粗胞外多糖具有抑制大肠杆菌O157诱导的炎症性肠病的潜力。     

Sulfate- and pH-driven metabolic flexibility in sugarcane vinasse dark fermentation stimulates biohydrogen evolution,sulfidogenesis or homoacetogenesis

Dark fermentation of sugarcane vinasse can be used as a “cleaning” step to remove sulfate prior to methanogenesis because sulfidogenic conditions can be successfully established in parallel with biohydrogen production. Using a 2² central composite rotational design (CCRD) and response surface methodology (RSM), this study assessed the impacts of bicarbonate and sulfate availability on the establishment of sulfidogenesis in the thermophilic (55 °C) fermentation of vinasse in batch reactors, equally assessing the impacts on biohydrogen evolution. CCRD-RSM results indicated the favoring of biohydrogen production at the lowest sulfate and bicarbonate concentrations, whilst the opposite was observed for sulfidogenesis. Glycerol, lactate, and hydrogen were the preferential electron donors utilized by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), whilst ethanol was markedly consumed only at high sulfate concentrations. SRB were inhibited by sodium when dosing excess NaHCO₃ and Na₂SO₄. Complementary tests revealed maximum biohydrogen production (2.40 mmol) out of the CCRD, at pH exceeding 7.5 with no interference of sulfidogenesis. Non-efficient biohydrogen production was observed at low pH (<5.0; ～1.90 mmol) because the uptake of lactate was inhibited. Meanwhile, homoacetogenesis was established under intermediate pH range (5.5–6.5), as revealed by the accumulation of acetate (up to 2.5 g L^?1). 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing further revealed the genera Thermoanaerobacterium/Pseudoclostridium, Desulfotomaculum/Desulfohalotomaculum and Sporomusaceae/Moorella as the main biohydrogen-producing, sulfate-removing and biohydrogen-consuming (homoacetogens) microbial groups, respectively. Hence, using a single inoculum source, vinasse may provide a butyrate-rich (along with biohydrogen-rich biogas) or a sulfate-free and acetate-rich fermented effluent, depending mainly on proper pH control.     

Combined effect of channel to rib width ratio and gas diffusion layer deformation on high temperature – Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell performance

The present study investigates the combined influence of Channel to Rib Width (CRW) ratio and clamping pressure on the structure and performance of High Temperature-Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (HT-PEMFC) using a three-dimensional numerical model developed previously. It also considers the impact of interfacial contact resistance between the Gas Diffusion Layer (GDL) and Bipolar Plate (BPP). The structural analysis of the single straight channel HT-PEMFC geometry shows that the von-Mises stress greatly increases in the GDL under the ribs as the CRW ratio increases resulting in considerably high deformation. The cell performance analysis depicts the significance of ohmic resistance and concentration polarization for different CRW ratios, particularly at higher operating current densities. However, in low to medium current density regions, the CRW ratio has little influence on cell performance. A substantial impact on the species, overpotential, and current distributions is observed. The findings also reveal that the CRW ratio significantly affects the temperature distribution in the cell.